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Summaries of, and links to, the latest aviation news stories appear below. News is archived into topics
For a daily compilation of UK articles on national and regional transport issues, see Transportinfo.org.uk | For more stories about specific airports see Aviation Environment Federation Transport & Environment Anna Aero TravelMole Press releases from CAA IATA BA Ryanair easyJet Jet2.com For climate change ECEEE news and Guardian Climate and NoAA monthly analysisCheck Hansard for reports on Parliament |
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Latest news stories:
Carlisle Airport land wrangle leads to 45 job cuts at Stobart Group
A protracted dispute over grazing land at Carlisle Airport which has delayed the start of its £25 million redevelopment has apparently led to 45 workers being laid off. It is delayed because 4 farmers with grazing rights – including two whose leases cover land earmarked for a new warehouse and offices – are refusing to surrender the land, though offered "a six-figure sum" and alternative grazing land. They refuse to give up the over 200 acres.
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Heathrow Victory in the High Court – an assessment of what it means
John Stewart gives a brief assessment of what Lord Justice Carnwath's ruling means
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CO2 ruling may halt new airport runways
Campaigners will seek to block airport expansion across Britain following a High Court judgment which criticised the government’s decision to build a 3rd runway at Heathrow. Environmental groups linked to Stansted, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and many other airports hope to use the ruling to launch fresh challenges against plans for mass growth in flights and passenger numbers. The judgment found ministers had not taken account of new, legally binding targets to reduce CO2 emissions when they approved the expansion of Heathrow. It comes after a two-year campaign by The Sunday Times revealed how BAA, the owner of Heathrow, colluded with the government to build the case for passenger growth.
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Plane Stupid issues 48hr subvertising challenge in April
It's that time of year when every airline starts aggresively advertising for your business. Well, Plane Stupid has had enough and is inviting all of you to take part in its very own subvertising competition. From Thursday 22nd April - Friday 23rd April, Plane Stupid will be launching 48 hours of sticker-whacking, subvertising, adbusting pandemonium. Any airline poster, advert or billboard is fair game to reclaim some public space. Taking part is easy. (Plane Stupid)
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Heathrow protesters win third runway court victory
The government's plans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow were dealt a blow after Lord Justice Carnwath agreed with campaigners that climate change threats had not been taken seriously enough. In a complex judgment he branded the original position adopted in the government's authorisation as untenable, and ordered Whitehall officials to give a formal undertaking they would carry out a further policy review and include climate change in the new aviation NPS.(Guardian)
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Cheap flights from Heathrow are not a God-given right
Christian Wolmar says it’s time to give up on expanding Heathrow, after the High Court ruling yesterday said there had been insufficient consultation on the 3rd runway. The days of the State being able to bulldoze whole villages out of existence in the supposed "national interest" are long gone. Even the most fervent aviation supporters recognise that it is an environmentally damaging activity and the notion that cheap flights are a God-given right is nonsense.
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Ruling on Heathrow’s 3rd runway will ground big projects
Geoffrey Lean writes that the High Court judgment that ministers must reconsider Heathrow's 3rd runway may prove to be one of the most far-reaching rulings for decades. It almost certainly ensures that the runway will never be built, but it also undermines the Government's entire programme for expanding airports around the country, and other carbon-intensive infrastructure. The precedent could be enormously significant for other new developments too.
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High Court Ruling throws expansion plans at Southend airport into question
Plans to expand Southend airport were thrown into serious doubt today when a High Court Judge said that the Government’s 2003 aviation policy didn’t fully take into account the effects of climate change. In a damning ruling Lord Justice Carnwath said that the 2003 ATWP – the basis for at airports around the country, including Southend – needs to be re-thought in the light of climate change and the UK’s Climate Change Act 2008.
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Birmingham: Time to scrap runway plans
Following a High Court judge's ruling against the decision to approve Heathrow's 3rd runway local environmental campaigners said the same should apply to plans for the expansion of Birmingham Airport. Lord Justice Carnwath ruled that the 2003 ATWP is obsolete because it is inconsistent with the Climate Change Act 2008. The government must prepare an NPS to establish the case before large infrastructure expansion can go ahead. (B'ham FoE)
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Stansted: Government airport policy in disarray after High Court ruling on Heathrow
Stop Stansted Expansion has welcomed a High Court ruling that the Government’s 2003 Air Transport White Paper is outdated and needs to be rewritten to take account of climate change targets. The judgment has major implications for airport expansion battles across the UK, effectively removing policy support for a 2nd runway at Stansted. The judge ruled that the carbon costs of aviation must be included when the economics of airport expansion. (SSE)
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A45 diversion plan for Birmingham airport runway extension to cost £32 million
Radical plans to move a major trunk road so that the Birmingham International Airport runway extension can take place will cost £32 million. Birmingham City Council and Solihull Council intend to split the cost of diverting the busy A45. It will also provide faster car and bus access to the airport and NEC, and could eventually have a Midland Metro tram line running alongside. (B'ham Mail)
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Heathrow 3rd runway plans grounded but they could still take flight
Immediately after the Heathrow 3rd runway ruling today, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he is determined to press ahead with the plans, which could see the number of Heathrow flights soar to 605,000 a year and then to more than 700,000. This may be a bit of bravado, but Adonis says Heathrow is full, it is vital for Britain, and the government had always planned to have another consultation before going ahead with the runway - (if they win the election).
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High Court Ruling on Heathrow 3rd runway throws expansion plans at Scottish airports into question
Plans to expand Edinburgh, Glasgow and other Scottish airports were thrown into serious doubt today when a High Court Judge said that the Government's 2003 aviation policy didn't fully take into account the effects of climate change and the Climate Change Act 2008. The ruling means expansion plans at Heathrow and dozens of other airports around the country, including Scotland, need to be re-thought. The Aviation White Paper has to be be radically overhauled.
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Highland Airways – North-south Wales airline enters administration
Planes flying the north to south Wales air route have been grounded. Highland Airways that operated the service has entered administration with further bookings being taken. Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said the Welsh Assembly Government would take action to restore it. Highland Airways was awarded a three-year contract to run the north-south Wales route from May 2007. The service had £800,000 a year funding from the assembly government. (BBC)
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Heathrow’s third runway ‘dead’ and runway decision ‘untenable’
The ruling of Judge Carnwath at the High Court has set back plans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow for years, with campaigners calling the project "dead". The alliance of local councils and environmental groups has resulted in a resounding defeat for the government. Strangely Andrew Adonis quickly put out a statement saying he welcomed the ruling. If the Government wants to pursue its 3rd runway plans it must now go back to square one.
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GOVERNMENT’S HEATHROW EXPANSION PLANS IN TATTERS AS JUDGE SLAMS RUNWAY POLICY
The Government’s Heathrow policy is in tatters this morning after the High Court ruled that ministers' decision to give a green light to the proposed 3rd runway at Heathrow does not hold any weight. The judge dismissed the Government’s claims to the contrary as ‘untenable in law and common sense’. If the Government wants to pursue its plans for Heathrow expansion it must now go back to square one and reconsider the entire case for the runway. The implications of today’s ruling are profound, not just for Heathrow but for airport expansion plans across the UK. Lord Justice Carnwath ruled that the 2003 Air Transport White Paper – the foundation of expansion plans across the country - is obsolete because it is inconsistent with the Climate Change Act 2008.
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Telegraph continues its campaign against APD
The Daily Telegraph started a campaign against Air Passenger Duty, back in mid 2009, and have been encouraging their readers to protest about it ever since. Now coming up to the election, they hope this will be a voting issue. The Budget yesterday did not mention APD. However, the Telegraph complain about the iniquity of it all, and the unfairness of taxing someone flying return to Australia paying an extra £85, or £12 for a short haul flight.
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Greenwash by East Midlands: Willow trees to power airport
East Midlands airport will - quote - "become the first in the UK to be powered partly by willow trees". The first cuttings in the 26-hectare willow farm planned at East Midlands Airport have been planted, and will (evenually) produce about 280 tonnes of wood fuel each year for a biomass boiler in the terminal building. This will save 350 tonnes of CO2. Planes from the airport last year emitted around 325,806 tonnes of CO2. Talk about a drop in the ocean.
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Third runway at Heathrow has fewer benefits, Government admits
The Government (DfT) has admitted that a 3rd runway at Heathrow has fewer benefits than originally thought. The massive building project was originally thought to bring in £5.5 billion to the economy, but new ways of calculating the environmental cost (taking into account not only the damage caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions, but the cost of offsetting the pollution) mean that the value has been reduced to less than £1 billion. (Telegraph)
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Hundreds of new jobs to be created at Biggin Hill airport
Biggin Hill airport is benefitting from millions of pounds worth of investment that is set to create 300 new jobs for the area. Middle Eastern jet company Rizon is constructing a £10million, 13,000 square metre hanger with aircraft parking, maintenance and passenger processing facilities, set to open at the end of May. A new 75-bed hotel will open near the airport.(Kent News)
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BA flies empty jets as strike action bites
BA has been forced to fly empty jumbo jets to cities around the world as it grapples with the strike. The airline re-instated flights to more than 20 destinations in Europe, the US, Asia and elsewhere after it said extra crew were working despite the strike. However, Unite said at least 37 of the flights on Sunday had no passengers and were only being operated to get aircraft to abroad so people could be brought back to London on scheduled flights. (FT)
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Environment: Commission warns UK about unfair cost of challenging decisions
The EC is warning the UK about prohibitively expensive challenges to the legality of decisions on the environment. The Commission sent an initial warning to the UK government in 2007; failure to respond to this could result in a summons to the European Court. The public must be allowed to challenge decisions. The Commission is concerned that in the UK the cost is preventing NGOs and individuals from bringing cases against public bodies. (Europa)
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EADS Backs Algae As Future Biofuel
Airbus' parent company EADS is backing algae as the best source of sustainable jet fuel, arguing that other feedstocks will not allow the airline industry to meet its carbon-footprint reduction goals. EADS does not believe 2nd-generation, plant-derived biofuels offer sufficient life-cycle, CO2 reductions to replace petroleum-based jet fuel and only algae can be produced without competing with food for land or water or creating CO2 outputs. (Aviation Week)
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Southend Airport expansion gets go-ahead from Government
The government has approved plans for a runway extension at Southend. John Denham claimed the right to a final say on the extension earlier this year, and could have called for a public inquiry on the decision made by Southend Council planners. Opponents are concerned about a rise in passenger numbers to 2m a year and the adverse environmental effect on the Southend area. The council, as usual, were persuaded the airport would bring much needed jobs. (BBC)
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Frankfurt: Lufthansa Cargo waits on night-flight verdict
Lufthansa Cargo will invest hundreds of millions of euros in a new freight center at Frankfurt airport provided it retains the right to operate night flights. A proposed ban on night flights could scupper the plan, and it claims it needs 23 flights per night. In 2009 the state of Hesse limited airlines to 17 flights between 11pm and 5am per night, down from 41. (Air Cargo World)
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Southend Council wins order to evict Camp Cuckoo protesters
Up to 17 members of Saxon King In Priory Park and Parklife are camping out on land by the roundabout, which the council is planning to clear to widen the road and have called for more people to join them. Southend Council has been granted an order to evict protesters from the camp. Many mature trees have already been felled to make way for road expansion, part of which is to ease access to the airport.
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Climate Change: It’s still real and it’s still a problem
Climate-related controversies and the outcome of the Copenhagen summit widely regarded as a failure have left a sense of hopelessness in climate policy, says Lord Chris Smith. He stresses the soundness of the fundamental climate science and the need to continue pushing for meaningful climate deals. The worst response to Copenhagen would be to throw up our hands in horror,say nothing was achieved and give up. The scientific evidence is overwhelming. (BBC)
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Cardiff Airport passengers down 18% in 2009
Statistics from the CAA reveal a slump in passengers that hit all UK airports last year, with 7.4% fewer passengers passing through their terminals. This was more than matched at Cardiff, where passenger figures were down more than 18%. Cardiff, which in 2007 was the fastest growing regional airport in the UK, saw 1.63 million passengers pass though its terminal, compared to 2.1 million in 2007. (UK Airport News)
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Heathrow braced for new night flights battle
Ministers are preparing for a fresh battle over night flights at Heathrow which they fear could harden opposition to a 3rd runway. A consultation on a new night flights regime is due to take place this year. At present 2,550 take-offs or landings are allowed at Heathrow between 11.30pm and 6am during the 6-month winter season and 3,250 in the summer — about 16 a night. Campaigners fear ministers will attempt to pave the way for more night flights from 2012.
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Blended winglet – manufacturer claims huge technology fuel savings by planes
Seattle-based Aviation Partners Boeing has calculated that 2 billion gallons of jet fuel have been saved by its blended winglet technology. The company says its winglets are now fitted on more than 3,700 aircraft and 21 different airline and business jet aircraft models, at a rate of over 400 aircraft per year. The technology makes the aircraft’s wing more efficient by reducing drag and increasing lift can be fitted onto existing planes. (GreenAir online)
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Residents welcome Belfast City Airport public inquiry
Local residents have welcomed the decision by Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, to hold a public inquiry into the the airport's runway extension proposal. Belfast City Airport Watch is delighted that the controversial proposal will now be subject to rigorous scrutiny. They fear the extended runway would mean "an international airport right on Belfast’s doorstep." Just days ago, the CAA submitted a damning report on the runway plan. (BCAW)
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Noise Action Plans and Noise Policy Statement for England
The Noise Action Plans published today are for road and rail, not for airports which were done during 2009. Also published today is the Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE) which sets out noise management policy for the first time in the form of the Government’s long term vision to manage noise and improve health and quality of life through the management of noise within the context of Government policy on sustainable development. (Defra)
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CAA statistics show last year’s fall in passenger numbers was biggest since the second world war
UK airports handled 17 million (7.3%) fewer passengers in 2009 than in 2008, the largest annual decline for 65 years. It is the first time numbers have fallen consecutively for 2 years, reducing passenger numbers to levels not seen since 2004. Traffic declined the most in the 1st quarter of 2009, with a drop of 12.5%, but the rate of decline eased as the year progressed. Regional airports saw a passenger drop of 10.7% and London airports a drop of of 4.9%.
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Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers maps out her vision for Britain’s roads, trains and planes
Theresa Villier confirms the Tories have an alternative vision for Heathrow which is "a top class new rail link at the airport connected to high-speed rail to provide not only an alternative to thousands of short-haul flights to make the airport less over-crowded but to make it much easier and more pleasant to get to." She appreciates that the environmental impact of runway 3 is not acceptable and far outweighs a business case. (Telegraph)
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Air travel drops for second year during recession
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Blow for bid to save homes from Manchester airport bulldozers
Campaigners fighting plans by the airport to bulldoze 2 homes have been dealt a blow. They ditched a legal challenge after being told the case had a less than 50% chance of success – and consequently would not qualify for legal aid. They wanted a judicial review of a decision by Manchester council to allow two historic cottages on Hasty Lane, Ringway, to be demolished to make way for a cargo centre. Campaigners are now looking at other alternatives. (MEN)
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Plenty of new airports but few regional passengers in China
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Industries hoarding greenhouse gas emission permits
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Heathrow local residents pledged to oppose high-speed rail unless 3rd runway is dropped
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BAA keeps roof on with mortgages at Stansted
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UK-to-US traffic down 10% in 2009; Heathrow’s share of market jumps from 60% to 75% in two years
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Varsity Express suspends Oxford to Edinburgh route
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Manchester Airport ‘to be as busy as Heathrow’
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Aircraft noise is no longer just a West London problem – new study published
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Lydd Airport – Long Legal Battle Ahead
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Bristol Airport decision still in balance
Campaigners fighting against Bristol Airport's ambitious expansion plans have welcomed North Somerset Council's move to delay making a decision on the proposals, saying that the final outcome remains uncertain and there is still everything to play for. STOP Bristol Airport Expansion say NSC have done the responsible thing in referring the application to a more senior planning committee as the application still has many serious unresolved issues. (SBAE)
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Shepway District Council has approved plans to expand Lydd Airport in Kent
Two planning applications – one for a runway extension and one for a new terminal building - have been approved by Shepway councillors by 27 votes to 12. The plans were approved despite a planning officer's report recommending that the application be refused on the grounds that noise and damage to natural habitats would outweigh any economic benefit that the airport expansion would bring. CPRE Kent said "The environmental impact is going to be devastating."
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Lydd plans approved against all advice – needs a public inquiry
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Vince Cable delivers speech to the Green Alliance including aviation policy
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Michael Howard supports Lydd Airport – house price compensation is not the answer
Michael Howard has announced his support for Lydd Airport’s large scale development and his backing of Jonathan Gordon, Managing Director of Lydd Airport. LAAG has always suspected that Michael Howard introduced Jonathan Gordon to Sheikh Fahad al Athel through his connection with Jonathan Aitken. Michael Howard and Lydd Airport have acknowledged that the airport will reduce house prices. 9LAAG)
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IATA enters legal case brought by ATA and 3 US airlines against the UK over the Aviation EU ETS
IATA has filed an "amicus brief" in London ahead of the hearing expected this month into the case brought by the ATA and American Airlines, Continental and United – over the aviation EU ETS. They claim that unilaterally applying the EU ETS to non-EU airlines is in breach of the Convention on International Civil Aviation 1944 – the Chicago Convention. A government consultation on the transposition of the ETS ends on March 5th. (GreenAir online)
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IATA – January demand slightly up but industry to remain in the red for 2010
January global air passenger demand was up 6.4% on Jan 2009, with a 1.2% increase in passenger capacity and load factor 75.9% (up from the 72.2% in Jan 2009. International cargo demand was up 28.3% with only a 3.7% increase in capacity, so cargo load factor was 49.6% (up from the 40.1% recorded in Jan 2009. The large increases in year-on-year comparisons reflect a steady "improvement" from the precipitous fall in demand in the early part of 2009.
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Bristol campaigners call for postponement on airport decision
Campaigners have called for a delay in Wednesday’s decision on Bristol Airport’s major expansion plans because of a change in recommendations from North Somerset Council on night flights. SBAE said that NSC’s South Area Meeting cannot make a decision at this point because proposed conditions on noise from night flights have suddenly introduced new changes to the night noise quota system without any consultation with the public. (SBAE)
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‘Boris island’ airport would cause European flight chaos, say airlines
The world's leading airlines have condemned Boris Johnson's £40 billion plan for a Thames Estuary airport. The Mayor hopes to build a 6-runway hub on an artificial island off the Kent coast as an alternative to expanding Heathrow. The Board of Airline Representatives UK said they and its members — including BA, Air France, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic and TWA — did not support the scheme. He set out some of the massive problems an estuary airport would cause.
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Green fuels cause more harm than fossil fuels, according to report
Using fossil fuel in vehicles is better for the environment than so-called green fuels made from crops, according to a government study. The findings show that the DfT’s target for raising the level of biofuel in all fuel sold in Britain will result in millions of acres of forest being logged or burnt down and converted to plantations. The study finds some of the most commonly-used biofuel crops fail to meet the minimum EC sustainability standards. (Times)
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Bristol expansion recommended for approval by North Somerset planning officers.
The £150 million expansion plans at Bristol Airport have been recommended for approval by North Somerset Council planning officers. A 170-page report on the planning application, which could see the airport double in size to accommodate 10 million passengers a year and includes expanding the terminal plus more airport parking, will go before the Council's South Area Committee in a special meeting at 18:00 on March 3rd. (UK Airport News)
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CAA report prompts calls to axe Belfast City Airport runway extension
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BA flies ‘ghost planes’ to train strike-breaking crews
BA is running "ghost flights" to train strike-breaking cabin crews ahead of a threatened walkout next month. Flights have been added from Heathrow to Cardiff and Glasgow to allow ground staff to gain experience in the air. BA’s cabin crew are usually trained on scheduled services with paying customers. However, due to limited time, emergency crews are being trained with colleagues pretending to be passengers. (Times)
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Urgent review needed on decision to increase City airport flights
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80 Dassault Falcon 7X pilots qualify for London City operations
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Conservatives ‘will block Stansted runway’
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Heathrow third runway plan unfair, High Court told
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Aviation was 6.3% of the UK’s CO2 in 2008 (and 12% of its climate change effect)
The AEF (Aviation Environment Federation) have done a bit of calculation on the government figures on CO2 emissions, and found that - in 2008 (as the 2009 figures are not yet available) - Aviation was 6.3% of the UK's CO2 (and 12% of its climate change effect)
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Heathrow runway opponents launch legal challenge at the High Court to stop expansion
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BAA losses hit £822m on Gatwick sale
BAA said its pre-tax losses had widened last year due in part to a loss of £277.3m from the sale of Gatwick which was sold before the end of the financial year for £1.5bn to Global Infrastructure Partners. The loss on the sale helped push pre-tax losses from £324.2m to £821.9m. The group also took an exceptional charge of £217.8m relating to increased pension scheme deficits, but this was lower than the third quarter when it booked a charge of £261m. (FT)
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Heathrow third runway ‘ £21.7bn boost to UK economy’
The British Chambers of Commerce has suggested a 3rd runway at Heathrow would provide a £21.7bn boost to the UK economy, and would be the single largest benefit from 13 key transport projects that would boost the economy by £85bn. The BCC said spending on key UK infrastructure projects must not be cut despite tight public finances. (BBC)
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EasyJet maintenance company shuts down at Stansted losing 345 jobs
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Glasgow Airport ‘more likely’ to be sold as trade lags Edinburgh
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Flybe announce Edinburgh – Kent flights
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EasyJet celebrates reaching 500 routes
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World’s top firms cause $2.2tn of environmental damage, report estimates
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“The Government remains committed to ……” – petition response on the ATWP
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Climate sceptics are recycled critics of controls on tobacco and acid rain
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Durham Tees Valley gets support from top MP William Hague
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Climate change department sends staff on hundreds of domestic flights
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‘Manston night flights? They’re already here’ and not being fined
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Sir Peter Rigby lining up swoop for Coventry Airport
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GLA Report on Heathrow – ‘Flights of Fancy’
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Skeptical Science – all the arguments anyone every needed on climate change
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